Never gunner give you up

Don't be defeated by those post-workout pains: massage guns can really help. And these are five of the best to take aim with...

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YAY I'M YOUR NUMBER ONE: HOW TO CHOOSE

Go for a gun with a good range of speeds, so you can pick a nice fast setting for warming up muscles before a workout and then slow things down for recovery time.

Massage guns come with attachments that let you better target different areas of your aching limbs. Smaller heads are made to dig deeper into areas such as the shoulders, while larger ones are ideally suited to tackling aches in your quads. If you want to know how deep a gun can get into those sore parts, pay attention to the amplitude number. This is essentially how far the gun's head moves back and forth.

Some guns now let you add hot or cold therapy into the recovery mix: you simply clip on extra attachments that can quickly apply some heat or a chill. This can boost the muscle recovery process to get you back out on your bike or in the gym more quickly.

Theragun Pro Plus Gen 6

What's the story?

Theragun is the biggest name in the massage gun world and the Pro Plus wants to be the cure for your aching body beyond basic percussive therapy.

Along with firing a 16mm amplitude of thumpage at you, the Pro Plus can apply pressure at five different vibration speeds and combine that with LED lights to help stimulate circulation and get you feeling less achy. There are also added heating modes, with your pick of three temperature levels to apply all around the body (add a cold attachment for an extra R1500).

You can see how your body is entering a more relaxed state with the built-in heart-rate sensor, and there's Bluetooth to let you pair with the phone app to follow guided routines and practise your breathing.

Is it any good?

What sets Theragun apart from most of its rivals is the strength that its percussive therapy can offer, and that's true of the latest Pro Plus.